Taking Pride in San Diego

• PRINT
• EMAIL
• LARGE
• MEDIUM
• SMALL

This year's theme, "America's Pride," evokes both the festival's setting and the great progress we have made toward full equality as LGBT people in the U.S. As the Pride website sdpride.org rightfully proclaims, "This is the first Pride season in the post-Don't Ask Don't Tell world." As a sign of things to come, last year's San Diego Pride parade prophetically featured the first-ever marching contingent of active military personnel ever in any Pride parade anywhere.

Nearly 200,000 spectators are expected along the route of what is currently the fourth largest Pride Parade in the U.S. It will kick off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 21. Out actress-comedian Sandra Bernhard will be honored as Grand Marshal for her longtime advocacy efforts on behalf of the LGBT community. Bernhard will also perform a stand-up show Saturday evening at the festival.

Other honorees in the parade as well as at the annual Spirit of Stonewall Rally the night before include: Dr. Clarence B. Jones, one of the most prominent and vocal African-American supporters of LGBT civil rights and same-sex marriage; Senators Christine Kehoe; Congresswoman Susan Davis; the Imperial Court de San Diego; andtheSafeSchoolTaskForce.Theparadeline-upwillfeaturenumerousotherlocal LGBT groups, performers and supporters as well as actor Alex Newell, who plays the transgender Unique/Wade on the hit TV series Glee.

Pride weekend in San Diego will really begin, though, the night of Friday, July 20, with the Spirit of Stonewall Rally at 6:00 p.m. and a first-ever Pride of Hillcrest Street Festival immediately following the rally. This open-air festival will take over the intersection of Normal Street and University Avenue beneath the new 65-foot landmark rainbow flag in San Diego's historic gay district. It will incorporate food, drink, dancing with multiple DJs, a special entertainment guest and even a giant, rainbow-hued ferris wheel. This just in, dance club favorite Neon Hitch will headline the block party. Tickets are required to attend Pride of Hillcrest and can be purchased at prideofhillcrest.com.

The centerpiece of San Diego Pride is the annual two-day festival held at Marston Point (6th and Laurel Street) in beautiful Balboa Park. On Saturday, July 21 festival hours are 12:00 to 10:00 p.m. and on Sunday, July 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. This years projected attendance of nearly 55,000, includes 300 vendors and more than 80 entertainers, making San Diego's Pride Festival is one of the largest in the country. It is also unique among Pride gatherings in that all ages are welcome to participate, with a Youth Zone, Children's Garden and other activities aimed at kids, teens and families.

Among this year's many popular San Diego Pride performers are headliners Natasha Bedingfield and Wynter Gordon. These divas of the dance floor will be singing several of their biggest hits on the festival's Main Stage. Gordon, who is filling in for the previously announced Kelly Rowland, has a current hit single in the triple platinum selling "Dirty Talk." She will take the stage on Saturday night at 9:30.

Bedingfield, meanwhile, will appear at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Originally from New Zealand, the songstress has made an international name for herself via several pop and dance hits such as 2008's "Pocketful of Sunshine." Other stages and tents at the festival will showcase hip-hop, Latino, gospel, country (including an appearance by Justin Utley, whose 2010 single "Stand for Something" won the LGBT Academy of Re- cording Arts' award for Best Country/Folk Song that year) and of course, high-energy dance music. Festival tickets allowing access to all these great events and concerts may be purchased in advance on the SD Pride website, sdpride.com.

Tons of parties take place during Pride, but only a handful of them are officially-sponsored events. According to Dwayne Crenshaw, Executive Director of San Diego LGBT Pride, "This year, we want to make sure folks know about and attend those fun events and parties which help non-profit causes in our community." Two of these "official" events are taking place at Bourbon Street on Park Boulevard; The Military Party is on Saturday, July 21, in support of Servicemembers United, the gay military organization and on Sunday, July 22 the Juicy Ladies Night Glow Party, featuring DJ Pinke ends the weekend. For information go to facebook.com/bourbonstreetsd.

Another standout among the many Pride-related fundraising events will be the 2012 5K Pride Run & Walk at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 21. Presented by the Front Runners & Walkers of San Diego, all proceeds raised will benefit The Center's Youth Housing Project for LGBT homeless teens. For more information and online registration, visit frwsd.org.

The formal conclusion of San Diego Pride for the ladies is FlawLes, an amazing annual rooftop pool party. It will take place on Sunday, July 22 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Andaz Hotel's Ivy Rooftop Pool at 600 West F Street, Downtown. Special guest performers through- out the soiree will include Fortune Feimster from TV's Chelsea Lately, DJ Amara and the Lipstik Inc. Dancers. Tickets for the festivities may be purchased at flawles.com.

Clearly, there will be something for everyone Pride weekend in Southern California's own city by the bay from Friday, July 20 through Sunday, July 22. Happy America's Pride!